PAULINHO is a beast and those who know football can recognise his talents according to Barcelona team-mate Denis Suarez.

Suarez has come out in defence of the midfielder following widespread criticism following his €40million move from Guangzhou Evergrande in the Chinese Super League.

The Brazilian international had two tricky years at Tottenham, but has been a mainstay recently for his national team and is continuing to rebuild his reputation following a steady start at the Now Camp.

“I like to watch football and I’ve seen Paulinho playing for Brazil, where he’s demonstrated what he is,” explained Denis.

“He’s a physical player who gives us a lot on a defensive level because he’s so strong. And going forward he adds a lot, too, because he makes those runs into the box, as we saw against Getafe. And then he’s an animal at set pieces, he’s incredible.

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